Guard rail anchoring device



Dec. 31,1935. 6; R TARBOX 2,026,259

GUARD RAIL ANCHORING DEVICE Filed April 18, 1935 2 SheetsSheet l Z 7 If I f I: I I j /fl i 2 5 1" A ff]? K U: 0% 1P5 Z z GEURGE R LDIRBUX L 5/ MW 4 7' TOR/VA rs Dec. 31, 1935. G TARBOX 2,026,259

GUARD RAIL ANCHORING DEVICE Filed April 18, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //VVEN 7-0;?

I 6 7 GEURGE 0X Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,026,259 GUARD RAIL ANCHORING DEVICE George It. Tarbox, Troy, N. Y.

Application April 18, 1933, Serial No. 666,696

3 Claims. (01. 18990) One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a novel form of anchor for guard rails which is simple to construct and effective in operation.

Another object is the provision of an anchor plate and an anchor bolt connected thereto, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to cause any pull that is exerted on the anchor bolt toembed the anchor plate more deeply in the soil. A'further object is the provision of a tension adjusting 'device which is interposed between the anchor bolt and the. cable of the guard rail and which is simple and rugged in construction and effective in operation.

A further specific object of my invention is the provision of a tension adjusting device of the foregoing character which is so formed as to permit relative angular movement between the adjusting device and the anchor bolt which is connected thereto and which is provided with an arcuate groove in which a bight of a cable of the guard rail is received.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood by ref- .erence to the accompanying drawings in which Ihave illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof and in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of a guide rail anchoring and tensioning device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of an anchor plate;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partially broken away and in section, of the anchor plate of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of the anchor plate;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of an end portion of the tension adjustingdevice;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the other end of the tension adjusting device;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective View illustrating the connection between the anchor bolt and the tension adjusting device for permitting relative angular movement between the two; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 4, I0 is a conventional guard rail post, the lower end of which is embedded in the ground indicated at H. The guard rail indicated generally with the lower apex or corner I6 curved forward- 10 1y at H as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. An anchor bolt l8 forms a substantially rigid connection with the anchor plate, and is connected thereto at a point below the center of area of the anchor plate. In the embodiment illustrated, the 15.

rear side of the anchor plate is provided with a hollow boss l9 through which the anchor bolt passes and which is provided with peripherally upstanding lugs 20. These lugs form a socket 2| which is polygonal in cross section, usually square, in which the head 22 of the anchor bolt isreceived. The head of the anchor bolt conforms in cross section tothe socket so that when the head of the bolt is seated therein, the anchor bolt cannot turn relatively to the anchor plate. The boss [9 forms a fairly close fit around the anchor bolt l8 and the head of the bolt forms a fairly close fit in the socket so that a substantially rigid connection is provided between the "anchor bolt and the anchor plate.

The rear side of the anchor plate is also provided with upstanding peripheral strengthening flanges 23 and is also preferably provided with strengthening ribs 24 which are integral with the boss I9 and extend therefrom to the corners of the plate. The lower end of the plate is preferably provided with a fillet l5! between the rib 24 and the plate for strengthening the lower corner which is driven into the soil and for providing a rugged construction.

The upper portion of the anchor plate is comparatively wide and the surface area of that portion of the anchor plate above the connecting point of the anchor bolt is much greater than the surface area of the portion below such connection. The upper portion of the anchor plate therefore presents a comparatively large surface against the earth While the lower end which is preferably pointed presents a comparatively small surface. When a pull is exerted on the anchor bolt I8, therefore, the lower pointed end I 6 of the anchor plate tends to penetrate the soil while there is no such tendency of the upper portion of the plate. The result is that a pull on the anchor bolt tends to embed the anchor plate more deeply in the soil. I have found in practice that the anchor plate may conveniently be made eighten inches wide at the upper portion and eighteen inches deep although it will, of course, be understood that any desired dimensions may be used.

A tension adjusting device, indicated generally at 25, is interposed between the anchor bolt and a b ight of the cable l2. The device is preferably in the form of an open frame comprising two side bars 26 joined at the one end to form a head 21 provided with an opening 28 through which the anchor bolt passes. The head 21 is preferably provided with two forwardly extending tapered lips 2'. The wall surrounding the opening 28 is provided with a ball socket 29 in which is received a ball member 30, preferably in the form of a semi-spherical sleeve or washer as best shown in Fig. 7 which surrounds the anchor bolt [8 and permits relative angular movement between the anchor bolt and the tension adjusting device. The sleeve 39 is held to its position by a nut 3| which is received on the threaded portion 32 of the anchor bolt.

The opposite ends of the side bars 25 are connected by a bar 33 provided with an arcuate groove 33i in which a bight 34 of the cable i2 of theguard rail is received. The cable moves quite freely in the groove formed in the tension adjusting device thus equalizing the tension on the upper and lower cables. The side bars 26 preferably diverge from the head 21 to the bar 33 so that the upper edges of the anchor bolt Hi, the upper side bar 26 of the tension adjusting device and the upper element 12! of the cable form a substantially straight line which ofiers no obstruction to an object such as an automobile which engages the same. Where there is an outwardly projecting member, an automobile or other object which may collide with the same, is likely to be wrecked and the guard rail itself destroyed. By making the upper edges of the anchor bolt, the tension adjusting device-and the upper element of the cable as a practically continuous line, the vehicle, in case it collides there'- with, rides up over the parts with minimum chance of injury either to the vehicle or to the guard rail itself.

It will be understood that the anchor bolt 18 ings are merely illustrative.

is substantially rigid and any transverse strain which is exerted thereon is likely to form a kink. When such a kink is formed in the threaded end of the bolt, it prevents further adjustment of the nut therealong. By providing relative movement between the anchor bolt and the tension adjusting device, the parts are self-aligning and .any tendency to form a bend or kink in the anchor bolt is eliminated.

Preferably, the tension adjusting device is formed as one integral casting in the form of an open frame which makes the device comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and satisfactory in operation, while permitting ready access to the end of the anchor bolt which is secured thereto. No machine work is required either on the anchor plate or the tension adjusting device 26 thereby eliminating labor and expense which have usually been required in devices of this character.

While I have described my invention in its preferred' embodiment, it is to be understood that the Words which I have used are words of-descrip- 'tion rather than of limitation and that the draw- Hence, changes within the purview of the appended claims "may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ground anchor, an anchor plate the lower portion of which is curved forwardly, and an'anchor bolt forming a substantially rigid connection with'said plate; said connection being located below the center of area of said plate.

2. In a ground anchor, an anchor plate the lower portion of which is pointed and curved forwardly, and an anchor bolt forming a substantially rigid connectionwith said plate, the point of connection between said bolt and said plate being located below the center of area thereof.

3. In a ground anchor, an anchor plate generally triangular in form with one corner arranged at the lower portion of said plate and curved forwardly, and an anchor bolt forming a substantially rigid connection with said plate, the point of connection between said bolt and said plate being located below the center of area thereof.

GEORGE R. TARBOX. 

